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| Places to go -> Malinbeg |
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malinbeg (Rathlin O'Birne Island) : Malinbeg |
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Address :
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Surrounding Area :
None Given
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Description :
2km west from Malinbeg is Rathlin O' Birne Island, dominated by the lighthouse. Diving around here is wide and varied drop-offs, caves and gullies. An excellent offshore dive site with average visibility of 20m.
With great diving within such a short distance of the pier, it is very easy to see why so many consider Malinbeg one of the top dive sites in Ireland.
The island is mostly low-lying, though rises to 26 m above sea level at the southern end where some cliffs occur. This wind-swept island, which is fully exposed to extremely powerful wave action from the Atlantic on its south and west coasts, is dominated by a maritime grass sward. Several small islets occur off the western shore. The island is uninhabited and has an automated lighthouse.
The site is of particular importance for the presence of reefs and a large area of the surrounding seas is included in the site. Reefs are listed on Annex I of the Habitats Directive.
The reefs in deeper water with animal dominated communities within this area range in depth from 30 - 42 m BCD. They are represented by bedrock that is extremely exposed to wave action and with very weak to negligible tidal streams. The steeply sloping and vertical bedrock supports the jewel anemone Corynactis viridis, the sea anemone Metridium senile and turfs of sponges, hydroids and ascidians and the rare sea slug Cuthona pustulata. The feather star, Antedon bifida, is frequent. In one area the bivalve mollusc Musculus discors was abundant; this is an uncommon community. The more gently sloping bedrock is characterised by pink coralline crusts, the bryozoan Parasmittina trispinosa and the cup coral Caryophyllia smithi. In deeper water the sponges Axinella spp., Phakellia ventilabrum, Stelligera spp. and Raspailia ramosa; the sea fan, Eunicella verrucosa, the anthozoan Aclyonium glomeratum and the fragile bryozoans, Pentapora folacea and Porella compressa, are characteristic. The rare sea slug Aldisa zetlandica was recorded in this community. Rathlin O'Birne appears to be the northern limit for E. verrucosa and Tritonia nilsodhneri. The red algae Drachiella spectabilis was also found down to 30 m, an indication of very clear water conditions.
Rathlin O'Birne is an important site for breeding seabirds, with probably the largest colony of Storm Petrels in the north-west (c.1,000 pairs in 1987). The very rare Leach's Petrel has been recorded (15 individuals in 1987) and may breed. Other breeding seabirds include Shag (10 pairs in 1987), Lesser Black-backed Gull (7 pairs in 1987), Herring Gull (460+ pairs in 1987), Great Black-backed Gull (45-60 pairs in 1987) and Black Guillemot (16 individuals in 1987). Terns, Common or Arctic, have bred in the past, with 15 pairs in 1984
The island regularly supports a nationally important population of Barnacle Geese in winter, with 345 in spring 1993 and 226 birds in spring 1994.
This site is of high conservation owing to the presence of excellent examples of reef communities. It supports nationally important populations of at least two bird species that are listed on Annex I of the EU Bird Directive and may be a breeding site for the rare Leach's Petrel.
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Contact Details :
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